Compound locomotive



No. 623,736. Patented Apr. 25,1899.

J PLAYER COMPOUND LOCOMOTIVE.

(Application filed Jan. 24, 189B.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(N0 Model.)

No. 6'23;736. Patented Apr. 25, I899. J. PLAYER.

COMPOUND LOGOMOTIVE.

(Application filed'Jan. 24, 1898.)

3 $heets$hoet 2.

(No Model.)

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No. 623,736. Patented Apr. 25, I899.

J PLAYER COMPOUND LOGDMOTIVE.

(Application filed Jan. 24, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

lllllllllll" jazm I UNTTn STATES ATENT FFIQE.

JOHN PLAYER, or TOIPEKA, KANSAS.

COMPOUND LOCOMOTIVE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 623,736, dated April 25, 1899.

Application filed January 24,1898. Serial No. 667,728. (No model.)

T 0 (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN PLAYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compound Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of locomotives known as compound locomotives, in which the steam is admitted first into what is known as a high-pressure cylinder and afterward passes out of the same into a second cylinder, known as a low-pressure cylinder, in which it is allowed to expand and act on a piston of greater area and to compensate for its diminished pressure.

The invention has particular reference to the valve mechanisms by which the admission and exhaust of steam to and from the cylinders are controlled,and especially to the means for operating these valves, whereby one or both of the valves may be adjusted independently or simultaneously for the purpose of changing the travel of the Valve, and thereby cutting off the steam at certain predetermined points.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical, and efficient valvemechanism for compound locomotives whereby the travel of one or both of such valves may be changed independently or simultaneously, as desired; and the invention consists in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation taken through the center of the cylinders; Fig. 2, a plan view of the mechanism for operating the slidevalves; Fig. 3, a sectional elevation taken on line 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4:, a plan sectional View taken on line 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a modified form of the mechanism which connects the slide-valve with the rock-shaft for the purpose of operating the same; Fig. 6, a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5 with the slide-valves detached, and Fig. 7 an enenlarged sectional view taken on line 7 of Fig. 5.

In illustrating and describing my improvements I will illustrate and describe those parts or portions only of a locomotive which I consider to be new, in connection with so much of that which is old in the art as is necessary to disclose my invention and enable those skilled in the art to practice the same.

In constructing a locomotive in accordance with my improvements I use a high-pressure cylinder A and a low-pressure cylinder 13, arranged in tandem relation to each other. These cylinders are provided with reciprocating pistons a and Z), connected to a pistonrod A, which serves to connect both of the pistons with the cross-head B. The crosshead is supplied with the usual connectingrod, (not shown,) which connects it with the driving-wheels of thelocomotive. (Shown in outline.)

In order to reciprocate the pistons by means of fluid under pressure, steam-chests O and D are provided for the high and low pressure cylinders, and each of such steam-chests is provided with what are known as piston slide-valves E and F, arranged in tandem relation and so that they cover and uncover the ports and exhausts e and e and f andf to admit and exhaust fluid under pressure from the cylinders. In order to operate these slide-valves and thereby control the admission and exhaust of fluid under pressure in the cylinders, a rocker-shaft G is provided, carrying a depending rocker-arm g, which in the usual instances is adjustably connected with link mechanism. (Not shown.) This rocker shaft has an upwardly projecting rocker-arm G", and secured to it is a bracket G The slide-valve in the low-pressure cylinder is provided with a hollow valve-stem, through which is passed the valve-stem e of the high-pressure slide-valve. The valvestem of the low-pressure slide-valve is connected with the bracket G on the upwardlyprojecting rocker-arm, while the stem of the high-pressure valve is ad justably connected with the rocker-arm by means of the valverod 6 As it is oftentimes necessary to vary the amount of fluid under pressure supplied to the high-pressure cylinder in order to compensate for the load or changes in grade, or, in other words, to change the travel of the high-pressure valve and cut off the initial fluid-pressu re at predetermined points, I con nect the valve-rod e adjustably with the rocker-arm by means of the strap II, which encircles the rocker-arm and which is secured to it by means of the set-screw 71 so that the position of the valve'rod, which is pivotally connected to the strap at cflmay be changed on the rocker-arm and travel through an increased or diminished length of arc, and consequently change the travel of the high-pressure valve. It will be seen that the travel of the high-pressu re valve may be regulated or adjusted independently of the travel of the low-pressure valve, while the change of the engagement of the link with the lower depending rocker-arm changes the travel of both valves simultaneously.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 I have shown the same arrangement of slid e-valves, but have shown a rock-shaft J provided with two upwardlyprojecting rocker-arms .I and J instead of one. In other respects the mechanisms are essentially the same.

The advantages incident toa locomotive fitted with my improvements are that the travel of the high-pressure valve maybe changed independent of the low-pressure valve and the initial pressure fed to the cylinder regulated so as to compensate for an increased or diminished load or a possible ascending or descending grade.

I claim- 1. In a locomotive of the class described, the combination of high and low pressure cylinders arranged in tandem relation, a reciprocating piston in each cylinder, a cross-head, a piston-rod connecting the pistons with the cross-head, a rock-shaft adapted to be connected with a movable part of the locomotive, a slide-valve for each cylinder arranged in tandem relation and adapted to control the admission and exhaust of fluid under pressure to and from the cylinders, a hollowvalvestem for one of the slide-valves, a stem for the other slide-valve passed through the hollow valve-stem, valve-rods connecting the valve-stems with the rock-shaft, and means for adjustably connecting one of the valverods with the rocker-arm, substantially as described.

2. Ina locomotive of the class described, the combination of high and lowpressure cylinders arranged in tandem relation, a reciprocating piston in each cylinder, cross-head mechanism, a piston-rod connecting the pistons with the cross-head, a piston slide-valve for each cylinder arranged in tandem relation and by their reciproeations to admit or exhaust steam under pressure to and from the cylinders, a hollow valve-stem for the lowpressure valve,a valve-stem for the high-pressure valve passed through the hollow valvestem, a rocker-shaft adapted to be connected with a movable part of the locomotive, a valve-rod connecting the hollow stem of the low-pressure valve with the rocker-shaft, and a valve-rod connected with the high-pressurevalve stem and adjustably connected with the rock-shaft for the purpose of changing the travel of the high-pressure valve independent of the low-pressure valve, substantially as described.

J OIIN PLAYER.

Witnesses:

THOMAS F. SHERIDAN, ANNIE O. COURTENAY. 

